Here he is owning that he had a personal and intimate revelation from Jesus. He is facing a crowd and admitting how intensely he was persecuting the church.
From Spiritual Revelation to Testimony
As I read these words, I think of the many testimonies I have heard from people who have had an intensely spiritual revelation from Jesus that completely altered their lives. Sex, drugs, and addictive behavior are left behind in the dark shadows of a painful lifestyle. Their path in life changes after they decide to become followers of Jesus Christ. In the past, theses people would awake to a new day with dread and fear in their hearts. Now they wake up with the light of the Son shining from within and complete confidence that this new day will be fine no matter what happens. Honestly, only a divine intervention can explain the testimony of Paul and the countless brothers and sisters who have had similar revelations.
I Stand in Awe of the Lord
God shows us his power by transforming people who no one else would want, into his strongest servants! Saul was responsible for the deaths of many people. He imprisoned men and women because they followed Jesus and his teachings. Saul's conversion was completely unexpected. I am sure there were people familiar with Saul who saw his transformation and were at a loss to explain what had happened to him. Can you imagine being Saul's mother, father, or synagogue teacher?
"It is hard to explain what happened to me. I was blinded by this light on the way to Damascus and the Lord talked to me. He called me to follow Him even though I was killing his people. Then, I had to find my way to Damascus and find a man who could teach me about Jesus and heal my blindness. I know it sounds unbelievable, but I knew it was the Lord. I know I am giving up a lot, but I am following my call."All of us can imagine the conversations Saul would have had with family members can't we?
Persecutor Turned Teacher
Early church members didn't trust Saul. Most thought Saul was just finding a new way to seek out Christians to persecute and kill. However, that thought was proven wrong as the newly named Paul began his ministry and taught about the life of Jesus Christ.
As I sit here reading Paul's words, I gain a sense of how miraculous his conversion truly was.
How does a Roman citizen/zealous Pharisee who is bent on seeking and destroying heretical Jews change like this? At the heart of this question is my personal belief that Saul must have loved the Lord. Yes, he channeled his belief into killing people, but I think he must have had a love of God, too. This is sheer speculation on my part, but it is based upon my own life experiences with Jesus. However, what matters more than my speculation, is that after his Damascus road experience, Paul spent the rest of his life as an obedient servant to Jesus Christ and he shared the teachings of Jesus with others every single day that he was alive.
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Thank-you for stopping by and visiting today. SalleeB